The present invention relates to a container, or package, for containing items, such as doses of medicine, that can be dispensed therefrom, and more particularly, the present invention relates to a unit dose package that includes a blister or blister card and that has child-resistant, senior-friendly dispensing properties.
Paperboard unit dose packages for use in dispensing medicine tablets are disclosed by U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,047,829 issued to Johnstone et al., 6,874,636 B2 issued to Paliotta et al., and 6,230,893 B1 issued to Karow. Other containers for pills and the like are disclosed by U.S. Patent Application Publication Nos. 2005/0183981 A1 of Gelardi, 2005/0115862 A1 of Maietta, and 2005/0199527 A1 of Ellis et al., and by U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,192,422 and 4,120,400 issued to Kotyuk, 4,817,819 issued to Kelly, 6,349,831 B1 issued to Buss, 6,789,677 B2 issued to Maietta, 4,126,224 issued to Laauwe et al., 6,896,137 B2 issued to McHutchinson, 6,460,693 B1 issued to Harrold, 5,082,137 issued to Weinstein, 3,942,630 issued to Phillips, 5,878,887 issued to Parker et al., 6,401,926 B1 issued to Lo, 4,511,032 and 6,679,381 B1 issued to Bush, 6,021,901 issued to Wolfe, 6,832,686 B2 issued to Donegan, 5,346,069 issued to Intini, 6,913,149 B2 issued to Gelardi et al., 6,863,175 B2 issued to Gelardi, 6,540,081 B2 issued to Balz et al., 3,504,788 issued to Gray, 5,740,938 issued to Hofmann et al., and 4,048,050 issued to Hillman.
Although the above referenced unit dose packages and pill boxes disclosed by the above referenced patents and published applications may be satisfactory for their intended purposes, there is a need for a unit dose package of novel construction that is difficult for a child to open, yet readily opened and closed by an intended end-user, such as a senior citizen. Preferably, the container includes a blister, blister card, tray or the like on which numerous items, such as doses of medicine, are individually secured. The blister, blister card or tray should be able to be slid between a retracted position in which the items are protected and housed within the package and a dispensing position in which the blister, blister card or tray extends in an exposed condition from the package, but remains connected to the package. In addition, preferably a spent blister card should be capable of being removed from the package and replaced with a fresh new blister card thereby permitting the unit dose container or package to be reusable.